University of Miami Latin American & Caribbean Studies Course Booklet Fall 2021
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University of Miami
Latin American
& Caribbean Studies
Course Booklet
Fall 2021
1Index
Message from the LAS Program Director 3
Undergraduate LAS Courses 4-14
Graduate LAS Courses 15-19
About the Latin American Studies Program 20
Program Requirements
Major/Minor 21
FILAS Program 22-23
Graduate Programs 23-27
2Greetings all!
As we look forward to Fall 2021, and a return to a more “normal”, post-COVID campus life, I
wanted to offer a couple of reminders and course suggestions.
As many of you know, two years ago, Latin American Studies moved to a new model for course
offerings. In addition to a small number of standard LAS core courses (LAS101, LAS601, etc.),
we now list all the various courses that will count towards the major/minor or MA by their
originating department’s number. Thus, in the catalog below, you will see very few LAS
course numbers (e.g. LAS350, 360, etc.), and instead you will find courses listed by their home
department’s numbers (e.g. INS362, POL697). This course booklet provides written proof that
all these courses will still count towards your programs of study. Obviously, I am happy to
answer any questions you all might have as you think about courses for the coming year!
For Fall of 2021, there are a few special/new courses that I would like to highlight:
• POR310: LGBTQ Brazil: Queering & Querying the Paradise of Paradox
• SPA322 and POR322: Social Justice and Cultural Production in Latin America
• SPA360: Global Caribbean Crossings in the Archives (Cuban Heritage Collection)
• GEG383: Geography and Development in South America
• ENG388: Caribbean Popular Culture
• HIS 551: Travels through Latin America
• HIS553: Studies in Colonial Latin American History: Culture Contact and Conquest in Latin
America
All best,
Dr. P
w.pestle@miami.edu
3Undergraduate Latin American Studies Courses
LAS 101: Introduction to Latin American Studies
Section Q, Tu/Th 1:00pm-2:15pm Instructor: Twichell
This course will focus inter-disciplinarily on culture, economy, geography, history, politics, and
society of Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as on the ways in which scholars have
studied the region. The course objectives are to provide a contextual and theoretical
understanding of the region’s issues and peoples so that you can build a program of future study,
critically assess information that you receive from mass media and elsewhere, dismantle
common stereotypes and generalizations, and engage in self-directed inquiry about the region.
INS 102: Global Economics
Sections O, Tu/Th 9:40am-10:55am Instructor: Yaffe
or P, Tu/Th 11:20am-12:35pm
The international economy. This course develops the analytical tools underlying "the economic
way of thinking" and applies them to two main topics: the environment and international trade.
INS 202: INS Methodologies
Section P, Tu/Th 11:20am-12:35pm Instructor: Twichell
The approaches, methods and techniques used for designing and conducting international studies
research.
HIS 254: History of the Cold War in the Americas
Section P, Tu/Th 11:20am-12:35pm Instructor: Elena
Although the Cold War is commonly thought of as a bloodless standoff between the United
States and the Soviet Union, this era in Latin America was one of enormous upheaval and
violently “hot” conflict. This course will examine the causes and lasting consequences of
political turmoil during the Cold War era (late 1940s to late 1980s). The readings and lectures
will explore key issues such as the emergence of new political currents on the Left and Right, the
impact of U.S. intervention on the domestic affairs of Latin American nations, armed struggle
between advocates of revolution and counter-revolution, and the provocative cultural movements
of the era.
FRE 302: The French Empire and its Other
Section P, Tu/Th 11:20am-12:35pm Instructor: Perisic
This course examines key moments in French colonial history from the seventeenth century to
the early twentieth century. Constructed in an interdisciplinary fashion, it draws from literary,
political, philosophical and anthropological texts to introduce students to the history and culture
of France and the French-speaking world. Readings bear on the nature of nation and citizenship,
the tension between republic and empire, the dynamics of universalism and particularism,
changing discourses of race and ethnicity. We will discuss major historical events that marked
French colonial history including French expansion into the Caribbean, the French and Haitian
revolutions, the colonization of Algeria and the beginnings of the anti-colonial movement.
One of the goals of this class is to foster proficiency in the reading, writing, and speaking French.
The course and class discussions will be conducted in French. All readings are primary
sources in French.
4FRE 303: Introduction to Contemporary Intellectual Movements of the Francophone
Caribbean and its Diaspora
Section S, Tu/Th 4:20pm-5:35pm Instructor: Joseph-Massena
This course is a survey of Francophone Caribbean Intellectual Movements of the 20th and 21st
century. Drawing from literature as well as cinema, music and visual cultures from the French-
speaking Caribbean and its diaspora, students will learn about several influential Caribbean
intellectual movements and become familiar with key concepts associated with Caribbean
thinkers and artists such as indigénisme, négritude, noirisme, antillanité, sprialisme, créolité and
créolization. The course and discussions will be conducted entirely in French.
SPA 303: The Cultures of Spanish America: Encounters, Identities, and Cultural
Expressions
Section D, Mo/We/Fr 11:45am-12:35pm Instructor: Civantos
In this course we will explore the cultural history of Hispano-America, from pre-Columbian
times to the present. Through a variety of texts, ranging from histories, literary works, and
critical essays to music, art, and film, the course provides an overview of Hispano-America’s
foundational social and political structures and the artistic forms that these have produced. The
course will cover topics such as indigenous belief systems and the encounter between indigenous
cultures and Europeans, slavery and its legacy, the transition from colonial rule to nationhood,
immigration from Europe and Asia, and emigration to North America and Europe. Throughout,
an overarching theme will be coloniality, or the enduring traces of the ideologies behind the
colonial enterprise. How do enduring colonial mindsets affect indigenous, mestizo, and Afro-
descended peoples, as well as all those who identify in some way as “Latin American”?
Intertwined with this, one of our goals will be to understand the construction of individual,
community, national, and transnational identities connected to the term “Latin America”—and
the ways in which different social actors contest these constructions. In this way, students will
gain an understanding of the main historical processes, political trends, social dynamics, and
artistic phenomena of Hispano-America and establish a base for more in-depth study in the
future. Most readings will be in Spanish and the class will be conducted entirely in Spanish.
HIS 310: Africa in Cuba/Cuba in Africa
Section P, Tu/Th 11:20am-12:35pm Instructor: Abaka
This course examines the relationship between Cuba and Africa from the period of the slave
trade to the late 1990s. The course is divided into three sections. Section one deals with Cuba
and Africa during the period of the slave trade. It focuses on the forced migration of Africans to
Cuba, the contribution of the enslaved to the growth and development of Cuba and the impact of
the African presence on the island. The next section examines the African contribution to the
wars of independence and the period of the Republics down to the time of Cuban revolution. It
will analyze the contribution of Cuba’s Black population to the revolution and the impact of the
revolution on race relations in Cuba.
POR 310: LGBTQ Brazil: Queering & Querying the Paradise of Paradox
Section T, T/Th 6:00pm-7:15pm Instructor: Butterman
This interdisciplinary cultural studies seminar, conducted in English with optional break-out
sessions in Portuguese, examines the relationship between burgeoning critical socio- political
5movements and institutions and the language discourses used to configure and conceptualize
them. Morespecifically,wewillstudycharacteristicsthatmakelifeuniquefor sexual minorities in
today's Brazil while also viewing Brazil in relation to global LGBTQ sociopolitical movements,
critically assess the complex relationship(s) between the visual arts and political activism,
carefully analyzing artistic representations of LGBTQ identities through photography, film,
literature, visual arts, music, and other sources. Our journey together will also embark on
interrogating the usefulness and the challenges of Brazil as a case study for understanding the
cultivation of ambiguity in contemporary (re)constructions of queer life. As such, we will
conduct a discourse analysis of the dynamics and features of the largest LGBT Pride Parade in
the world (São Paulo, Brazil), while examining the limits and the potential of creating theoretical
frameworks invested in promoting linkages between political activism and academic scholarship.
Finally, we will analyze the intricacies of terminology Brazilian sexual and gender minorities
have adopted and adapted, illustrating the development of LGBTQ identities through
performative language use.
POL 316 and INS 310: Politics of Globalism
Section R, Tu/Th 2:40pm-3:55pm Instructor: Gonzalez
Global politics, including the political and normative values that shape global politics:
nationalism, internationalism, neoliberalism, empire, socialism. The format will include a focus
on energy, as energy is arguably the basis of the global polity.
HIS 318: Modern Caribbean History
Section S, T/Th 4:20pm-5:35pm Instructor: Ramsey
This course will introduce students to major topics, debates, and themes in Caribbean history
from the late eighteenth century to the present day. Analyzing primary source documents and
images will be a particular emphasis of our work throughout the semester, and on at least two
occasions the class will meet in the UM Libraries Cuban Heritage Collection and Special
Collections to examine and discuss archival resources connected to our studies.
SPA 321: ¿Qué Hacer con el Pasado?: La (re)construcción de la historia personal y política
Section E, Mo/We/Fr 1:00pm-1:50pm Instructor: Civantos
This course will consider humans’ relationship with the past and manifestations of this
relationship in the Spanish-speaking world: what are the factors involved in constructing and
transmitting individual and collective memory, how is history crafted to serve specific needs in
the present, and how do individuals and communities creatively and productively address
traumatic pasts? Examining how earlier historical periods are portrayed and invoked in literature,
film, visual arts, and political campaigns will allow us to understand the relationships between
historiography, ideology, and identity. Considering how individuals and communities respond to
constructions of the past, or seek to reconstruct a silenced past, will provide insight into the
relationships between narrative, creativity, justice, reconciliation, and resilience. We will explore
how history is used (and possibly abused) to inform, critique, or heal experience in the present
through specific case studies primarily taken from the literature and film of Spain, Cuba, and
Argentina. Although a few secondary readings will be in English, the course will be
conducted entirely in Spanish.
6AMS 322 and AAS 290: Black Miami Studies
Section F1/F, Mo/We/Fr 2:15pm-3:05pm Instructor: Francis & Allen
INS 322: Economics of Development and the Environment
Section AB, Mo 8:00am-10:45am Instructor: Weisskoff
Structural changes that accompany economic growth that impact the environment and
sustainable development.
SPA 322 and POR 322: Social Justice and Cultural Production in Latin America
Section G, Mo/We 3:30pm-4:45pm Instructors: Devine Guzmán
and de Moraes dos Santos
What is the role of cultural production in historical and ongoing struggles for social justice
across Latin America? In this multi-lingual and transnational seminar, we seek to answer this
question by examining the creation, reception, and use of literature, film, journalism,
photography, and popular music in the Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking Americas, beginning
in the early-twentieth century. Grounded in an understanding of social power that stems from the
legacies of colonialism and the persistence of a colonialist order, students will examine a variety
of individual and collective perspectives on “justice” as they relate specifically to categories of
work, class, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual identity, national origin, political affiliation, and
intersections thereof. Moving into the twenty- first century, we will also consider how recent
debates over environmental justice and speciesism complicate longstanding efforts to theorize
and realize more equitable societies. Over the course of the semester, students will develop a
greater understanding of how diverse efforts to foster social justice have transformed over time;
how those efforts relate to a variety of ongoing national projects; and how cultural production
has served to reflect, advance, and sometimes hinder democratic ideas, institutions, and
governance. Prerequisite: SPA 301 or POR 212. While students will have an opportunity to
engage cultural production from the Spanish-speaking Americas and Brazil, they need not
be proficient in both language traditions to take this course. SPA students will do their work
in Spanish, and POR students will do their work in Portuguese. Students with the ability to work
in both languages will develop a specialized plan in consultation with the instructors but should
register for the section in which they seek language credit.
SPA 322: García Márquez and The Beatles
Section O, Tu/Th 9:40-10:55am Instructor: Vargas
Apart from the almost simultaneous release in 1967 of the novel Cien años de soledad, by
Gabriel García Márquez, and the album Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band by The
Beatles, few have pondered the ways in which these productions and the artists themselves seem
to be entangled with one another. This course reflects on some of the parallels and intersections
in the life and work of García Marquez and the Beatles (John Lennon in particular), and delves
into the connections between their seemingly non-related composition of literary, visual, and
sound artifacts during the 1960s. Thus, specific, and at times unexpected, correspondences are
unfolded: fiction and reality, psychedelia and magic realism, Beatlemania and Latin American
literary Boom, writing and songwriting, Aracataca and Liverpool, and Pepperland and Macondo.
Through the exam of Beatles songs and Lennon’s literary work, Beatles movies and
documentaries, and through the analysis of excerpts from novels, movies, short stories and
opinion columns written by García Márquez, the roundtrip between the two expressions of
7popular culture represented by the Colombian and the Englishmen is achieved. The class will be
conducted in Spanish.
REL 330: Caribbean Religion
Section Y: TBD Instructor: Tsang
Caribbean Religion with an emphasis on African Diaspora and Creole religions. The religious
traditions we will cover include: Rastafarianism, Regla de Ocha (Santeria), Voodoo, Espiritismo,
Regla de Palo, and Obeah.
GEG 331: Sustainable Development
Section S, Tu/Th 4:20pm-5:35pm Instructor: Cardoso de Silva
The concepts of sustainable development, its origins, and the global conventions associated with
it. We use indicators of human well-being, governance, environmental conservation, social
inclusion, and economic prosperity to evaluate how countries are making their development
trajectories more sustainable. Although most of our discussion adopts a global perspective, the
research conducted by students is focused on the challenges for implementing sustainable
development policies in tropical and sub-tropical countries.
GEG 334: Biogeography and Conservation
Section G, Mo/We 3:30pm-4:45pm Instructor: Cardoso de Silva
Explores the modem science of biogeography and its implications for the design of spatial
strategies to conserve biodiversity and ecosystem services. Examines the history of biogeography
and its geographical and ecological foundations. Discusses the fundamental biogeographical
processes and uses them to investigate the evolution of biotas and explain the current
biogeographic patterns. Explores the emerging field of conservation biogeography and its
applications.
POL 340: Civil Wars
Section J, Mo/We 6:00pm-7:15pm Instructor: Pischedda
Theories and empirical findings on the causes of civil wars, their termination and conduct.
Questions addressed in the course include: Why do civil wars occur? Are economic or political
causes more important? How do civil wars end? Are ethnic civil wars different from wars fought
for political ideology or material gains? What role do natural resources play in civil wars? Why
are civilians especially likely to be victimized in some civil wars but not in others? Why do
warring parties resort to terrorism? How do civil wars end? What factors are more conducive to
long-lasting peace?
POL 341: Nationalism, Ethnicity, and Political Conflict
Section K, Mo/We 7:40pm-8:55pm Instructor: Pischedda
Examines theories of ethnic and national conflict focusing on contemporary issues throughout
the world.
8GEG 345: Global Water Security & Sustainability
Section Q, Tu/Th 1:00pm-2:15pm Instructor: Stoler
Explores the physical, social, economic, and political dimensions of global water insecurity and
the management of global drinking water supplies through an interdisciplinary social science
lens.
GEG 346: Immigrant and Refugee Health
Section O, Tu/Th 9:40am-10:55am Instructor: Moise
A theoretical background essential for understanding the complex interaction of migration and
health. Students will gain a basic understanding of the theories surrounding the movement of
people within and across political boundaries. Emphasis will be placed on the health issues
experienced by displaced populations including refugees, migrants, and internally displaced
persons. We will explore some of the difficulties that receiving communities face in addressing
the health needs of migrants, the roles of actors involved in working with displaced populations
and how emigration of a large segment of the population, either abruptly or over time, affects
sending communities as well. Much of the class will consist of guest speakers and case studies
presented by different healthcare professionals working with migrant communities, with
examples of the problems faced and solutions achieved in addressing issues of immigrant and
refugee health drawn for both national and international experience.
GEG 348: Climate Change and Public Health
Section JK, Mo 6:00pm-8:45pm Instructor: Stoler
The mechanisms by which climate change adversely affects human health, and the policy options
for mitigating our exposure.
INS 357: Global Food Policy: A Hands-on Approach
Section AB, Fr 8:00am-10:45am Instructor: Weisskoff
Structural changes that accompany economic growth that impact the environment and
sustainable development
REL 358: The Color of God: Race and Religion
Section Y, TBD Instructor: Callender
This course will examine the role of race and ethnicity within the discipline of religious studies.
We will emphasize the manner in which racial and ethnic identity have contributed to religious
identity, and the way in which religion has functioned within the struggles of racially and
ethnically marginalized peoples. This course will focus on the Americas and draw from diverse
racial, ethnic, and religious traditions.
SPA 360: Global Caribbean Crossings in the Archives (Cuban Heritage Collection)
Section P, Tu/Th 11:20am-12:35pm Instructor: Manzor
This course will focus on contemporary Caribbean culture, including the Caribbean diaspora in
the US, and how that culture is archived. Focusing on theater, performance, and new media we
will look at the following questions: How are national/regional identities constructed through
theater? What role do archives play in constructing that identity? How does contemporary
culture intervene in contemporary political processes? This course will be conducted seminar
style and it involves an archive project requiring 20 hours at the Cuban Heritage Collection or at
9an online/digital archive working on film outtakes in Cuba, Miami, and New York.
Prerequisites: SPA 301, SPA 302, SPA 303, SPA 307.
GEG 383: Geography and Development in South America
Section Q, Tu/Th 1:00pm-2:15pm Instructor: Yaffe
An introduction to the geography of South America. Explores the interface between societies and
nature in this diverse and complex world region. Covers the major challenges that the countries
of the continent are facing to improve their socio-economic indicators as well as protect their
unique natural ecosystems.
ENG 388: Caribbean Popular Culture
Section R, Tu/Th 2:40pm-3:55pm Instructor: Saunders
This course introduces students to a wide range of texts that represent the complex relationships
between politics, aesthetics, popular culture, performance and literature in the Caribbean region
and its diaspora locations. Understanding cultural production in a “glocal” context (global and
local simultaneously) is essential for reading and interpreting modes of representation produced
and consumed in Caribbean contexts. We will consider the following questions: When culture
travels, what are some of the values that accompany it, and what do these values tell you about
the way an artist sees his/her society? Because a cultural form is “popular,” does this mean that
its political power is lessened? In other words, can “popular culture” be a vehicle for social
change? Does “popular culture” hold the same social and cultural value as the works we usually
see in museums, art galleries, and other “high art” locations? How do we make these kinds of
value judgments? Finally, can understanding popular culture make us better readers, writers,
interpreters and citizens? We will consider texts from an array of disciplinary, cultural and
historical perspectives to respond to these questions.
APY418: North American Native and Global Indigenous Perspectives: Stories of
Resistance and Resilience
Section T, Tu/Th 6:00-7:15pm Instructor: LaPorte (Anishinaabe)
Rooted in an Indigenous perspective, this course is intended to provide students with a critical
overview of the experiences of Native and Indigenous Peoples within the United States and
globally. Students will have the opportunity to learn about historical injustices and contemporary
issues Indigenous people face and about the impact that Native-led social justice movements
have in regards to these issues. Students will contrast Native and Global Indigenous worldviews,
frameworks for approaching community issues (legal, spiritual, land-based, political, and
cultural), and accompanying creation stories with those of the West. Students will be immersed
in Indigenous teachings around kinship and language, and will have the opportunity to examine
common historical, political, and modern impacts of colonization on Native and Indigenous ways
of being and knowing. Participants in this course will be able to identify the different eras of
federal Indian law and policy (pre-contact, contact, genocide and colonization, removal,
allocation and assimilation, recognition, termination and self-determination) and be able to dive
deeper into their own assumptions, which may or may not be based on inaccurate historical
narratives. To this end, students will have gained a more accurate portrayal of the history of
Native and Indigenous peoples and will develop an appreciation for the ongoing and historical
experiences in these communities, as well as the resiliency and survivance found within.
Participants in this course will have a solid understanding of the value systems in which
10Indigenous teachings, stories, languages, and worldviews are rooted and be able to explain how
these value systems have resisted colonial oppression since colonization.
SPA 446: Cultural Debates. Immigration and Exile (Multifocal Perspectives): Latinxs in
South Florida (CIVIC)
Section Q, Tu/Th 1:00pm-2:15pm (ONLINE) Instructor: Quesada-Gómez
This course is designed to give advanced students the opportunity to focus on spoken Spanish to
formulate and sustain a personal perspective on contemporary issues. Using the format and
techniques of public speaking and debate, the course will focus on several controversial issues
within Hispanic cultures related to concepts such as transnational migration and exile. As a
Service-Learning course, besides the academic component, we will work on how to address and
relate with different kinds of immigrant or exile communities. Special attention will be given to
economic, legal, and cultural issues that underprivileged immigrant and exile communities face
in South Florida. Through in-class debates and presentations, service-learning, films,
documentaries, and readings on (1) the historical contexts that have provoked the exodus of
persons of Latin American origin to the United States and Europe throughout the 20th century to
the present; and (2) the diverse histories behind Latin American peoples’ mobility beyond
national borders, students will not only expand their vocabulary, develop their stylistic
expression, improve their spoken fluency and analytic/argumentative skills, or think critically
about exile, migration, and the relationship between language and identity, but also will became
global citizens (from the local) with personal and civil responsibility. The class is conducted in
Spanish and has a community-based learning component (CIVIC). According to the
American Association of Community Colleges, “service learning combines community service
with academic instruction, focusing on critical, reflective thinking and personal and civic
responsibility. Service-learning programs involve students in activities that address community-
identified needs, while developing their academic skills and commitment to their community.”
LAS 494: Independent Study in Latin American and Caribbean Studies.
Section By arrangement Instructor: Pestle
Independent study will be leading to a thesis, original piece of research, or creative project on a
Latin American or Caribbean subject. Students need permission of Academic Director to enroll
in this course.
ENG 495 and AAS 390: ROUTES AND ROOTS: Migration, Identity and Politics in
African Diaspora Culture
Section P, Tu/Th 11:20am-12:35pm Instructor: Saunders
Given the increasing focus and debate on immigration and its impacts on North America, the
need to understand the integral nature of immigrant communities and their contributions to what
we understand and refer to as America and American culture is more important now than it has
ever been. Once more, the phenomenon of migration has such large implications on a global
scale as natural disasters, political corruption, civil wars, and illicit transactions (of drugs, human
trafficking, weapons, etc.) account for a larger share of income than any other sector of the GDP
of many of the countries. There are also waves of intra-Caribbean migration also, from the town
to the city in search of work, opportunity, even fame and fortune, not unlike those who migrate
to the United States. However, we should not be fooled into believing that migration is a one-
way street, or that Caribbean people are the only ones looking to capitalize on the opportunities
11and benefits that mobility affords them. Before tourists began to see the Caribbean region as a
desirable location for vacationing, wealthy businessmen were traveling the Caribbean region to
invest in cash crops such as “sugar, coffee, bauxite, bananas and, more recently, oil. Once the
value in these investment areas decreased, some of these same businessmen traded in their
business attire for swimming trunks and exotic foods, drinks and experiences. After the trend of
the very wealthy people vacationing in the Caribbean waned, the strength of the American dollar
in the Caribbean made it possible for middle and working classed people to visit these
“enchanted,” “laid back,” countries where their worries would melt away amidst the sun, sand
and the beach.
LAS 495: Senior Honors Thesis I
Section By arrangement Instructor: Pestle
This course pairs students with a faculty mentor to set and guide a research agenda in preparation
for writing the senior honors thesis. Students will study advanced topics in Latin American and
Caribbean Studies, according to faculty interests. Students need permission of Academic
Director to enroll in this course.
LAS 496: Senior Honors Thesis II
Section By arrangement Instructor: Pestle
This course pairs students with a faculty mentor to guide the writing process and completion of
the senior honors thesis. Students will study advanced topics in Latin American and Caribbean
Studies, according to faculty interests. Students need permission of Academic Director to enroll
in this course.
LAS 505: Internship in Latin American and Caribbean Studies
Section By arrangement Instructor: Pestle/Twichell
On-site experience will be in business, governmental organization, or non-profit organization
dealing with Latin America and/or the Caribbean. Students need permission of Academic
Director to enroll in this course.
LAS 506: Civic Engagement in Latin America
Section By arrangement Instructor: Pestle
On site experience will be in a civic engagement project in Latin America or the Caribbean.
Students need permission of Academic Director to enroll in this course.
POL 531: Global Environmental Politics
Section JK, Mo 6:00pm-8:45pm Instructor: Gonzalez
Examination of the environment within the context of economic globalization. Contrasts the
international trading regime and those regimes designed to protect the environment, with specific
attention to the issues of global warming and bio-diversity. Prerequisite: POL 203 or INS 101.
INS 533: Transnational Social Movements
Section O, Tu/Th 9:40am-10:55am Instructor: Kubalkova
Focuses on global civic activism and contentious politics, with particular attention to
transnational non-state actors - NGOs, social movements, environmental protection, and the
emergence of a global civil society.
12HIS 551: Travels through Latin America
Section 42, Tu 2:40pm-5:25pm Instructor: Elena
The societies of Latin America have long captivated the attention of explorers seeking wealth
and conquest, scientific knowledge and religious conversion, and other encounters with the
region’s landscape and diverse peoples. These adventurers have journeyed enormous distances
to unlock the continent’s mysteries, traversing its remote jungle and mountainous areas as well
as its sprawling urban centers. This seminar examines the experiences of foreign and domestic
travelers over the course of the last two centuries in Latin America. Seminar members will look
carefully at the shared assumptions of travelers and compare their modes of social investigation.
In seeking a better understanding of the genre of travel writing and its historical significance, the
course draws upon a variety first-person accounts, scholarly works, and films.
HIS 553: Studies in Colonial Latin American History: Culture Contact and Conquest in
Latin America
Section 43, Th 2:40pm-5:25pm Instructor: Nesvig
This seminar examines the process of cultural, political, linguistic, biological, sexual contact
between Iberians and indigenous Americans and black Africans in Latin America. Using the old
rubric of “the conquest” this course will examine the newer debates about the “new conquest
history,” the focus on indigenous peoples, the importance of religion—indigenous, African, and
Iberian Catholic—in forming what we know as Latin America. The course has an emphasis on
the case of Mexico, though we will also consider the cases of other parts of Latin America. This
kind of course used to be called The Spanish Conquest of Mexico, but no one uses the rubric of
conquest to explain this process anymore. Instead, we think of the Spanish-Mexica War, cultural
contact, negotiation of power systems, resistance, and subaltern agency. Themes and topics may
include disease and demography; local politics; indigenous community resilience; the world of
the Spanish colonizers; hybridized Catholicism; language; and popular religion.
POL 566 and INS 599: Activism
Section J, Mo/We 6:00pm-7:15pm Instructor: Hummel
Explores what activism is, the history and developments of activism around the world, and which
activists strategies work best. Assignments will send students into the community to participate
in local politics, work with local organizations, and engage in activism.
INS 569: Global Issues and Film Making
Section 31, Tu/Th 1:00pm-2:15pm Instructor: Habashi, Moulioukova
Global issues and filmmaking studied via a transdisciplinary approach. Topical focus varies
among health, foreign aid, human security, international development, and global urbanization.
INS 570: Globalization and Health
Section GJ, Mo 3:30pm-6:15pm Instructor: Porcelain
Globalization and its benefits and threats to public health; the relationship between global
economic, political, social, cultural, environmental and technological changes and their impact
on human health.
13INS 571: Global Health and International Development
Section GJ, We 3:30-6:15pm Instructor Porcelain
Health and development links; macroeconomic policies and their impact on social equity;
poverty and structural inequities; and other key issues that influence human development.
POL 592 and INS 537: International Political Economy
Section U, Tu/Th 7:40pm-8:55pm Instructor: Gómez-Mera
This course introduces students to the study of International Political Economy (IPE). It
combines a focus on the main theoretical and methodological approaches used in the study of
IPE with the analysis of historical and contemporary issues.
14Graduate Latin American Studies Courses
LAS 601: Interdisciplinary in Latin American and Caribbean
Section S, Tu/Th 4:20pm-5:35pm Instructor: TBD
Required graduate-level introduction to interdisciplinary methods and politics of Latin American
and Caribbean area studies.
GEG 603: Research Design in Geography
Section P, Tu/Th 11:20am-12:35pm Instructor: Sheskin
Designing and proposing geographic research projects based upon a critical reading of the
geographical literature. Students will prepare a master's thesis (master's students) or dissertation
(doctoral students) project proposal.
LAS 605: Internship in Latin American and Caribbean Studies
Section By arrangement Instructor: Pestle/Twichell
On-site experience in business, governmental organization, or non-profit organization dealing
with Latin America and/or the Caribbean. Permission from the Academic Director is required in
order to receive credit for an internship.
LAS 606: Civic Engagement
Section By arrangement Instructor: Pestle
On-site experience in a civic engagement project in business, governmental organization, or non-
profit organization dealing with Latin America and/or the Caribbean. Permission from the
Academic Director is required in order to receive credit for an internship.
SOC 609: Social Statistics
Section 01, We 6:00pm-8:30pm Instructor: Petersen
Probability theory, descriptive statistics and tests of independence.
POL 610: Statistics for Politics and Public Administration
Section JK, Mo 6:00pm-8:45pm Instructor: Ki
This course focuses on the use of statistics to conduct quantitative research (i.e., statistics) in
political science and public administration. The course emphasizes hands-on data work. Students
will learn how to perform political analyses – and present findings in an appropriate manner –
using SPSS statistical software.
APY 611: Methods of Anthropological Research
Section D MWF 11:45am-12:35pm Instructor: Page
Concentration on research methods for Cultural Anthropology.
INS 613: Transnational Social Movements
Section O, Tu/Th 9:40am-10:55am Instructor: Kubalkova
Focuses on global civic activism and contentious politics, with particular attention to
transnational non-state actors - NGOs, social movements, environmental protection, and the
emergence of a global civil society.
15GEG 625: Sustainable Development
Section S, Tu/Th 4:20pm-5:35pm Instructor: Cardoso de Silva
The concepts of sustainable development, its origins, and the global conventions associated with
it. We use indicators of human well-being, governance, environmental conservation, social
inclusion, and economic prosperity to evaluate how countries are making their development
trajectories more sustainable. Although most of our discussion adopts a global perspective, the
research conducted by students is focused on the challenges for implementing sustainable
development policies in tropical and sub-tropical countries.
GEG 625: Biogeography and Conservation
Section G, Mo/We 3:30pm-4:45pm Instructor: Cardoso de Silva
Explores the modem science of biogeography and its implications for the design of spatial
strategies to conserve biodiversity and ecosystem services. Examines the history of biogeography
and its geographical and ecological foundations. Discusses the fundamental biogeographical
processes and uses them to investigate the evolution of biotas and explain the current
biogeographic patterns. Explores the emerging field of conservation biogeography and its
applications.
APY628: North American Native and Global Indigenous Perspectives: Stories of
Resistance and Resilience
Section T, Tu/Th 6:00-7:15pm Instructor: LaPorte (Anishinaabe)
Rooted in an Indigenous perspective, this course is intended to provide students with a critical
overview of the experiences of Native and Indigenous Peoples within the United States and
globally. Students will have the opportunity to learn about historical injustices and contemporary
issues Indigenous people face and about the impact that Native-led social justice movements
have in regards to these issues. Students will contrast Native and Global Indigenous worldviews,
frameworks for approaching community issues (legal, spiritual, land-based, political, and
cultural), and accompanying creation stories with those of the West. Students will be immersed
in Indigenous teachings around kinship and language, and will have the opportunity to examine
common historical, political, and modern impacts of colonization on Native and Indigenous ways
of being and knowing. Participants in this course will be able to identify the different eras of
federal Indian law and policy (pre-contact, contact, genocide and colonization, removal,
allocation and assimilation, recognition, termination and self-determination) and be able to dive
deeper into their own assumptions, which may or may not be based on inaccurate historical
narratives. To this end, students will have gained a more accurate portrayal of the history of
Native and Indigenous peoples and will develop an appreciation for the ongoing and historical
experiences in these communities, as well as the resiliency and survivance found within.
Participants in this course will have a solid understanding of the value systems in which
Indigenous teachings, stories, languages, and worldviews are rooted and be able to explain how
these value systems have resisted colonial oppression since colonization.
INS 639: Global Health and International Development
Section GJ, We 3:30pm-6:15pm Instructor: Porcelain
Health and development links; macroeconomic policies and their impact on social equity;
poverty and structural inequities; and other key issues that influence human development.
16INS 640: Globalization and Health
Section GJ, Mo 3:30pm-6:15pm Instructor: Porcelain
Globalization and its benefits and threats to public health; the relationship between global
economic, political, social, cultural, environmental and technological changes and their impact
on human health.
GEG 648: Climate Change and Public Health
Section JK, Mo 6:00pm-8:45pm Instructor: Stoler
The mechanisms by which climate change adversely affects human health, and the policy options
for mitigating our exposure.
HIS 652: Travels through Latin America
Section 42, Tu 2:40pm-5:25pm Instructor: Elena
The societies of Latin America have long captivated the attention of explorers seeking wealth
and conquest, scientific knowledge and religious conversion, and other encounters with the
region’s landscape and diverse peoples. These adventurers have journeyed enormous distances
to unlock the continent’s mysteries, traversing its remote jungle and mountainous areas as well
as its sprawling urban centers. This seminar examines the experiences of foreign and domestic
travelers over the course of the last two centuries in Latin America. Seminar members will look
carefully at the shared assumptions of travelers and compare their modes of social investigation.
In seeking a better understanding of the genre of travel writing and its historical significance, the
course draws upon a variety first-person accounts, scholarly works, and films.
HIS 655: Studies in Colonial Latin American History: Culture Contact and Conquest in
Latin America
Section 43, Th 2:40pm-5:25pm Instructor: Nesvig
This seminar examines the process of cultural, political, linguistic, biological, sexual contact
between Iberians and indigenous Americans and black Africans in Latin America. Using the old
rubric of “the conquest” this course will examine the newer debates about the “new conquest
history,” the focus on indigenous peoples, the importance of religion—indigenous, African, and
Iberian Catholic—in forming what we know as Latin America. The course has an emphasis on
the case of Mexico, though we will also consider the cases of other parts of Latin America. This
kind of course used to be called The Spanish Conquest of Mexico, but no one uses the rubric of
conquest to explain this process anymore. Instead, we think of the Spanish-Mexica War, cultural
contact, negotiation of power systems, resistance, and subaltern agency. Themes and topics may
include disease and demography; local politics; indigenous community resilience; the world of
the Spanish colonizers; hybridized Catholicism; language; and popular religion.
INS 669: Global Issues and Film Making
Section 31, Tu/Th 1:00pm-2:15pm Instructor: Habashi, Moulioukova
Global issues and filmmaking studied via a transdisciplinary approach. Topical focus varies
among health, foreign aid, human security, international development, and global urbanization.
17POR 691: LGBTQ Brazil: Queering & Querying the Paradise of Paradox
Section T, T/Th 6:00pm-7:15pm Instructor: Butterman
This interdisciplinary cultural studies seminar, conducted in English with optional break-out
sessions in Portuguese, examines the relationship between burgeoning critical socio- political
movements and institutions and the language discourses used to configure and conceptualize
them. Morespecifically,wewillstudycharacteristicsthatmakelifeuniquefor sexual minorities in
today's Brazil while also viewing Brazil in relation to global LGBTQ sociopolitical movements,
critically assess the complex relationship(s) between the visual arts and political activism,
carefully analyzing artistic representations of LGBTQ identities through photography, film,
literature, visual arts, music, and other sources. Our journey together will also embark on
interrogating the usefulness and the challenges of Brazil as a case study for understanding the
cultivation of ambiguity in contemporary (re)constructions of queer life. As such, we will
conduct a discourse analysis of the dynamics and features of the largest LGBT Pride Parade in
the world (São Paulo, Brazil), while examining the limits and the potential of creating theoretical
frameworks invested in promoting linkages between political activism and academic scholarship.
Finally, we will analyze the intricacies of terminology Brazilian sexual and gender minorities
have adopted and adapted, illustrating the development of LGBTQ identities through
performative language use.
POL 692 and INS 637: International Political Economy
Section U, Tu/Th 7:40pm-8:55pm Instructor: Gómez-Mera
This course introduces students to the study of International Political Economy (IPE). It
combines a focus on the main theoretical and methodological approaches used in the study of
IPE with the analysis of historical and contemporary issues.
LAS 694: Directed Readings in Latin America and Caribbean
Section By arrangement Instructor: Pestle
Independent Study leading to an original piece of research, or creative project on a Latin
American or Caribbean interdisciplinary topic.
POL 695 and INS 611: International Relations Methodology
Section P, Tu/Th 11:20am-12:35pm Instructor: Blankenship
A seminar in Political Theory and Methods; designed to give the student a greater degree of
insight and knowledge of a particular subject and to develop ability in the techniques of
individual research, group discussion and analysis. The senior seminars may be taken in any
sequence.
POL 696: Activism
Section J, Mo/We 6:00-7:15pm Instructor: Hummel
Explores what activism is, the history and developments of activism around the world, and which
activists strategies work best. Assignments will send students into the community to participate
in local politics, work with local organizations, and engage in activism.
LAS 697: Readings for the Comprehensive Exam
Section By arrangement Instructor: Pestle
Readings for M.A. students who are preparing for comprehensive examinations.
18HIS 717: Field Preparation: Modern Caribbean History
Section 47, Fr 2:15pm-5:00pm Instructor: Ramsey
This seminar focuses on major topics, questions, and debates in Caribbean history from the late
nineteenth century to the present. Students will have the chance to discuss a wide range of
historical scholarship on the circum-Caribbean, with an emphasis on influential recent directions
in the field.
HIS 721: Historiography
Section 48: Tu 9:40am-12:25pm Instructor: Heerman
The philosophy, theory, and practice of history.
LAS 810: Pre Candidacy Thesis Credits
Section By arrangement Instructor: Pestle
The student working on his/her master's thesis enrolls for credit, before student has been
admitted to candidacy. Credit is not awarded until the thesis has been accepted.
Six (6) credits of 810 are required for MA students in Latin American Studies.
LAS 815: Post-candidacy thesis credits
Section By arrangement Instructor: Pestle
The student working on his/her master's thesis enrolls for credit, not to exceed six, after student
has been admitted to candidacy. Credit is not awarded until the thesis has been accepted.
LAS 820: Research in Residence
Section By arrangement Instructor: Pestle
Used to establish research in residence for the thesis for the master’s degree after the student has
enrolled for the permissible cumulative total in LAS 810 (usually six credits).
Credit not granted. May be regarded as full time residence.
AND DON’T FORGET THE VARIOUS ZERO-CREDIT
GRADUATE-LEVEL LANGUAGE CLASSES OFFERED
BY MLL!
19About the Latin American Studies Program
The Latin American Studies Program at the University of Miami takes an interdisciplinary
approach to the study of the politics, economics, cultures, and societies of Latin America and the
Caribbean. In addition to a number of LAS “native” courses (i.e. courses that have an explicit
LAS course number), courses in the program can be taken in departments from every school and
college at the University of Miami, and the program's faculty research topics ranging from
development economics to immigrant health care, from indigenous music to Caribbean colonial
literature, from the archaeology of the region's earliest people to present-day questions of
resource conservation and management. Our students become true experts who can speak to a
wide range of issues confronting Latin America; experts who can contribute proactively to
development and cooperation as well as to business and political analysis in ways that their peers
with a more traditional disciplinary focus simply cannot.
For any questions regarding the Latin American Studies Program, please contact, please contact
the Program’s Director:
Dr. William J. Pestle
Merrick Hall 214EC
University of Miami
Coral Gables, FL 33124-2005
Email: w.pestle@miami.edu
20Major in Latin American Studies (36 credit)
The Latin American Studies major is designed for students who desire a comprehensive
understanding of Latin America and the Caribbean; its history, cultures, languages, economics,
politics, and societies. Majors often combine their studies with concentrations in other
departments or schools. LAS majors also learn outside of the classroom, through interaction with
visiting experts, participation in symposium and conferences, and travel courses. Students are
required to attain at least competency in two Latin American languages and are advised (but not
required) to spend at least one semester in Latin America.
Curriculum:
• Gateway Course in LAS (LAS 101)
• Advanced language proficiency in Spanish, French, Portuguese or Haitian Creole: This
requirement may be met with SPA203, FRE203, POR202, or HAI201 or equivalent
• Secondary language competence in another Latin American or Caribbean language: This
requirement may be met with SPA105, FRE105, POR105, HAI102 or equivalent, or by
successfully completing a Latin American, Caribbean, or Indigenous language course in
the DILS Program.
• Two (2) courses in Latin American history
• Six (6) courses in classes listed in LAS or cross-listed with LAS, 12 credits of which
must be completed at the 300-level or higher (FRE, SPA, or POR 214 may count toward
this requirement)
• One (1) of the following: LAS 494, LAS 501, LAS 505, LAS 506.
Minor in Latin American Studies (15 credits)
The minor in Latin American Studies is designed for students who have an interest in Latin
America and the Caribbean but may not have the flexibility to pursue a Major. The minor may
be obtained by completing five courses (detailed below), or through participation in the U-
Buenos Aires or the new U-Latin America program.
Curriculum:
• Gateway Course in LAS (LAS 101)
• Four (4) LAS Courses, three (3) of which must be at the 300 Level or higher
21FILAS (Fellows in Latin American Studies)
In this highly selective Honors Program, students follow a rigorous, accelerated curriculum to
complete a dual degree (B.A./M.A.) in Latin American and Caribbean Studies in five years. The
program provides exciting collaborative research, travel, and work opportunities. Working with
UM’s world-class faculty in various academic disciplines, FILAS participants design
individualized curricula. In addition to the regular general education course requirements of the
College of Arts and Sciences, FILAS students choose one focus track for their most advanced
courses: Social Sciences, Literature & Culture, Communication, Environmental Studies, Law
and Public Policy, Public Health, or History.
FILAS Curriculum
English Composition 1 6
ENG 105 English Composition I
ENG 106 English Composition II
Mathematics, Computing & Statistics 2 3
Second Language 3
Writing Across the Curriculum 4
Cognates 5 9
Advanced Language Proficiency in Spanish, French, Portuguese, or Haitian Creole 3
Select one of the following:
FRE 203 Advanced French
HAI 201 Intermediate Haitian Creole I
POR 202 Intermediate Portuguese II
SPA 203 Advanced Spanish
Secondary Language Competence in another Latin American or Caribbean Language 3
Select one of the following:
FRE 105 Accelerated Elementary French
HAI 102 Elementary Haitian Creole II ((or equivalent))
POR 105 Beginning Portuguese for Spanish Speakers
SPA 105 Accelerated Elementary Spanish
FILAS Specific Requirements
Select one gateway seminar in Latin American Studies 3
Select two History courses 6
Select two International Studies courses 6
Select two Economics courses 6
Select two advanced Languages and Literatures courses (SPA, POR, FRE, or HAI) 6
Select seven courses in Study Abroad 21
Select one course as Internship in Latin America 3
Select five courses above the 300-level (third-year) in a range of disciplines 15
Select ten courses in one focus track 30
MA Phase Requirements
GRE Exam in Semester 7 or 8
LAS 601 Interdisciplinary In Latin American And Caribbean 3
22LAS 602 Research Design in Latin American Studies 3
Select two Regional Fundamentals courses 6
Select four electives from approved LAS or combined courses 12
LAS 810 Pre-candidacy thesis credits (students must enroll in two semesters of this 3- 6
credit course to fulfill this requirement.)
Total Credit Hours 150
1
Certain AP/IB scores may be used to fulfill the Composition requirement as credit. If
Transfer students transfer one of the two above, but not both, they may take ENG 208 to
complete the requirement. ENG 105 must be taken unless exempted by SAT/V or ACT/V
scores (does not include credits).
2
MTH 108 or higher. Unless exempted by AP/IB, or UM placement test. UM placement test
does not include credits. Prerequisites must be met before enrolling in MTH courses.
3
Students must take at least three credits in a language other than English at the 200-level or
higher. Prerequisites may be required. Courses taken in order to meet this requirement,
including necessary prerequisite courses to the 200 level courses, cannot be used in cognates
seen below. FILAS students already fulfill this requirement when completing the language
requirements cited below.
4
Degree candidates must complete at least four writing courses, and at least one such course
must be in the student's major discipline.
5
Typically, students must complete a minimum of three cognates, one from each of the three
areas of the University curriculum: Arts & Humanities; People & Society; and Science,
Technology, Engineering & Mathematics. A cognate is a minimum of 9 credit hours, however
it can be more. Each major/minor fulfills the cognate requirement in one Area of
Knowledge. However, FILAS students must complete only the STEM Cognate as the
FILAS program fulfills the Arts & Humanities and People & Society cognates. To avoid
additional course credits, please select a STEM Cognate that includes a Natural Science
course to concurrently fulfill this CAS general education requirement. According to the
Collage of Arts & Sciences, "three credits must be earned from one of the following
departments: Biology, Chemistry, Ecosystem Science & Policy (only ECS 111, 112, or 202),
Geological Sciences, Marine Science (except MSC 313 and 314), Physical Science, or Physics.
APY 203 and GEG 120 may also count. These credits may double count with any other
requirement, e.g., courses in the STEM cognate."
FILAS students also write a Master’s Thesis based on an original research project. In addition,
they must defend the thesis and present their findings at the LAS Annual Student Symposium.
23Master of Arts in Latin American Studies
The Master of Arts in Latin American Studies is a 30-credit interdisciplinary degree
characterized by a distinct level of flexibility in allowing students to create a course of study
focused on Latin American and the Caribbean that serves the unique interests of each student.
Combining core courses offered by the program with a large variety of co-listed and cross-listed
courses offered by departments, programs, and units throughout the University of Miami, the
program offers a tremendous diversity in course selection. We encourage students to combine
course offerings from around the university into a cohesive course of study that allows them to
specialize in an area, topic, country, theme, or issue of their choosing and thus to tap into the
many resources available at the University of Miami for students with a passion for Latin
America and the Caribbean.
Curriculum:
• The required introductory seminar, LAS601 (3 credits)
• The required research design seminar, LAS602 (3 credits)
• A disciplinary research methods course (3 credits)
• Two regional fundamentals courses (6 credits)
• Three electives (9 credits)
• A thesis (6 credits). Students are required to write a master’s thesis, create an equivalent
capstone project, or pass a comprehensive exam. The latter two options require the
approval of the degree director. For each of these options, a committee consisting of at
least three faculty members is required.
• Students must demonstrate advanced language competency in Spanish, Portuguese,
Haitian Creole, or French by passing a course taught in the target language at the 600-
level or above, or by passing a language competency exam.
• We strongly encourage our students to travel in the region, either through faculty-led
travel courses offered by our program, or courses offered by other programs and
departments at the University of Miami.
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